Electronic Portfolios constitute an extension to e-learning and have therefore been very strongly popularized in the last few years. Their similarity with the general purpose of the Information System can be perceived if we look at the ePortfolio as a platform that supports real-life processes that are mostly related to learning and are referred to as Lifelong Learning (LLL) processes. Therefore, owing to the ePortfolio characteristics, it can be assumed that ePortfolio is an Information System.

Until today only descriptive methods have been used to describe and explain the ePortfolio once it is developed and implemented. Considering the importance of the ePortfolio today, it is necessary to understand and demonstrate the reasons for its existence, development, source and origin. For that purpose a genetic taxonomy introduced as an IS taxonomy in 1997 will be used in this paper. In addition, the genetic taxonomy will show that the ePortfolio is in fact an Information System. Moreover, the ePortfolio will be defined in terms of the Genetic Taxonomy Space (GTS) that enables direct comparison with other types of Information Systems.